This invention relates to a humidifier, and more particularly a humidifier for humidifying air in a closed environment, such as the room of a building.
In cold climates it is generally necessary to humidify the air in buildings because the moisture content of cold air is very low. When the air is heated to room temperature, the relative humidity, which is a measure of the actual moisture content relative to the moisture-bearing capacity of the air, is so low that human discomfort is experienced.
There have been many different kinds of humidifier on the market for some years. A common type of humidifier consists of a rotating drum partially immersed in a trough of water, the drum carrying a belt through which air to be moisturized is passed. Such humidifiers are relatively clumsy and suffer from the disadvantage that the porous belt mounted on the drum tends to become clogged with calcium deposits.
German Patent No. 3,312,367 describes a humidifier where air is blown onto an evaporator held by one or more floats on the surface of a water reservoir. A portion of the evaporator, which may be made of paper, extends into the water and keeps the evaporator moist by capillary action.
While representing an improvement over the prior art, this humidifier is limited in its capacity to draw water into the evaporator due to the limited contact with the water reservoir. Also, the evaporator has limited or no ability to remove dust particles carried by the air stream.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved humidifier alleviating the problems of the prior art.